Someone actually came and asked what show he was going to.. no, I just like hoof oil and oil spray that's all.
not helpful
I only set up a simple exercise of three trot and canter poles (not easy when he parked himself right in the middle of where I wanted to set them up) because we both haven't done any pole work for a really long time. I mainly just wanted to work on keeping a constant rhythm approaching, going over and leaving the poles, getting a good turn into the poles and keeping a nice straight line. He was very good, especially cantering over them, if perhaps a bit lazy at times but once he realised we were in the jumping arena he perked up a bit! I don't really want to do a lot of jumping with him until he has his follow up physio but he does love it (even if I don't anymore!) so I let him jump a little cross pole to finish on, again working on the same principles we had with the poles. He used to rush and get quite strong jumping, but he stayed very calm and balanced still, he might have got a little bit more forward but before it was cantering on the spot, bucking and rearing kind of forward, today it was just a bit of 'yay!' and that's in a snaffle, so he was very well behaved. Maybe one day in the very distant future when I'm happy with our flatwork I might be brave enough to start jumping again but I'm happy enough playing schooling ponies for now. He's getting a lot happier and relaxed in his trot every time and we even had some nice stretchy trot work after popping the jump a few times, something that would never, ever have happened with a jump in the school before and the most he's stretched since swapping back to the snaffle. My goal for myself riding wise now is to work on keeping a more consistent contact and not being afraid of letting him know I'm at the end of the reins; no more washing line reins!
Beth & Jack x
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